Kabobo Massif

Last updated
Kabobo Massif
Highest point
Elevation 2,701 m (8,862 ft)
Coordinates 05°08′12″S29°03′13″E / 5.13667°S 29.05361°E / -5.13667; 29.05361
Geography
Location Tanganyika and South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Kabobo Massif (Mitsoshi-Kabogo or Kabogo Massif) is a mountain region in Tanganyika and South Kivu Provinces, Democratic Republic of the Congo known for its unique flora and fauna. One of its most prominent peaks is Mount Kabobo (also known as Mount Kabogo), while another is known as Misotshi. While Misotshi-Kabogo appears to be a more appropriate name for the massif, it is most commonly referred to in the literature by the misinterpreted name Kabobo.

Contents

Geography

Kabobo Massif has four peaks, Kabili, Kabobo (Kabogo or Ngamikka), Ngandja, and Misotshi. [1]

Etymology

There is apparently no widely accepted local name for the mountain range, with most reports referring to the region by the Belgian misnomer Kabobo, the more appropriate Babembe Kabogo, or as Misotshi-Kabogo. [2] The name Misotshi-Kabogo comes from the most important sacred peak for the Babembe people (Misotshi) and after a peak near the headwaters of the Kabogo river. [2] It is reported that the name Kabobo was a misinterpretation of the name Kabogo by the Belgians, with Kabogo being the Babembe word for "power" and a reference to a spirit that resides in the Kabogo river. [2]

Flora and fauna

The massif is dominated by montane forest and is among Africa's most biodiverse sites. [3] [4] The massif is recognized as the Mount Kabobo Important Bird Area (CD015). [5] As of 2017, some 1,410 species of plants and 558 species of terrestrial vertebrates had been documented in Kabobo Massif. [1] The region is considered unique in the present day for its large extent of intact montane forest, and for the fact that intact forest exists from at or near lake level to the highest elevations. [2]

Endemic taxa

Several taxa are endemic to the massif, and the area is considered a biodiversity hotspot by conservation authorities. [5] More research is needed to clarify how many unique populations and subspecies occur within the region.

Birds

Genetic analyses on the birds of the massif indicate that there is unrecognized diversity in the region, and that several presently recognized subspecies may be worthy of species recognition. [6] The following species are endemic to the massif: [7]

Additionally, the following subspecies are also wholly endemic to the massif [8]

Mammals

The following subspecies are endemic to the massif (note that this list is incomplete as of February 2023):

Plants

The following species are endemic to the massif (note that this list is incomplete as of February 2023):

Conservation

The region is relatively intact, but artisanal gold mining in the region has been considered a threat to local biodiversity. [2] Local taboos associated with the sacred peak Misotshi discourage the hunting of chimpanzees and discourage local deforestation. [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virunga National Park</span> National park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Virunga National Park is a national park in the Albertine Rift Valley in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It was created in 1925. In elevation, it ranges from 680 m (2,230 ft) in the Semliki River valley to 5,109 m (16,762 ft) in the Rwenzori Mountains. From north to south it extends approximately 300 km (190 mi), largely along the international borders with Uganda and Rwanda in the east. It covers an area of 8,090 km2 (3,120 sq mi).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sibuyan Island</span> Island in the Philippines

Sibuyan is a crescent-shaped island, the second largest in an archipelago comprising Romblon Province, Philippines. Located in the namesake Sibuyan Sea, it has an area of 445 square kilometres (172 sq mi) and has a total population of 62,815, as of the 2020 census. The island has two prominent peaks, the highest is Mount Guiting-Guiting, with an elevation of 2,058 metres (6,752 ft), followed by Mount Nailog, which is 789 metres (2,589 ft) high. The people speak the Sibuyanon dialect of Romblomanon, a Visayan language.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ethiopian Highlands</span> Mountain range in northern Ethiopia

The Ethiopian Highlands is a rugged mass of mountains in Ethiopia in Northeast Africa. It forms the largest continuous area of its elevation in the continent, with little of its surface falling below 1,500 m (4,900 ft), while the summits reach heights of up to 4,550 m (14,930 ft). It is sometimes called the "Roof of Africa" due to its height and large area. It is the only country in the region with such a high elevated surface. This elevated surface is bisected diagonally by the Great East African Rift System which extends from Syria to Mozambique across the East African Lakes. Most of the Ethiopian Highlands are part of central and northern Ethiopia, and its northernmost portion reaches into Eritrea.

The Nyungwe Forest is located in southwestern Rwanda, on the border with Burundi, where it is contiguous with the Kibira National Park to the south, and Lake Kivu and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west. The Nyungwe rainforest is probably the best preserved montane rainforest in Africa. It is located in the watershed between the basin of the Congo River to the west and the basin of the river Nile to the east. From the east side of the Nyungwe forest comes also one of the branches of the Nile sources.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mgahinga Gorilla National Park</span> National Park in Uganda

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is a national park in southwestern Uganda. It was created in 1991 and covers an area of 33.9 km2 (13.1 sq mi).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taita Hills</span>

The Taita Hills, sometimes also spelled as Teita Hills, are a mountain range located in the Taita-Taveta County in south-eastern Kenya. The hills consist of three massifs: Dawida, Sagalla in the southern side of Voi township and Kasigau in the south near the border of Tanzania. The Dawida massif is the largest and tallest of the three, with an altitude of 2,228 metres (7,310 ft) above sea level at its highest peak, Vuria. Dawida has three other main peaks: Iyale, Wesu, and Susu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cameroonian Highlands forests</span> Forest ecoregion in Cameroon and Nigeria

The Cameroonian Highlands forests, also known as the Cameroon Highlands forests, is a montane tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion located on the range of mountains that runs inland from the Gulf of Guinea and forms the border between Cameroon and Nigeria. This is an area of forest and grassland which has become more populous as land is cleared for agriculture.

The Namuli apalis is a small African passerine bird belonging to the genus Apalis in the family Cisticolidae. It was formerly considered as a subspecies of the bar-throated apalis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wildlife of Cameroon</span>

The wildlife of Cameroon is composed of its flora and fauna. Bordering Nigeria, it is considered one of the wettest parts of Africa and records Africa's second highest concentration of biodiversity. To preserve its wildlife, Cameroon has more than 20 protected reserves comprising national parks, zoos, forest reserves and sanctuaries. The protected areas were first created in the northern region under the colonial administration in 1932; the first two reserves established were Mozogo Gokoro Reserve and the Bénoué Reserve, which was followed by the Waza Reserve on 24 March 1934. The coverage of reserves was initially about 4 percent of the country's area, rising to 12 percent; the administration proposes to cover 30 percent of the land area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mulanje Mountain Forest Reserve</span>

Mulanje Mountain Forest Reserve is a nature reserve founded in 1927 in Malawi. The reserve covers 56,317 hectares. It is operated by the Mulanje Mountain Conservation Trust. The reserve was designated a biosphere reserve by UNESCO in 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chirinda apalis</span> Species of bird

The Chirinda apalis is a species of passerine bird belonging to the family Cisticolidae. This species is endemic to the Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe and Mozambique. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtropical or tropical moist montane forest.

The Kabobo apalis is a species of bird in the family Cisticolidae. It is endemic to the Kabobo Massif in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its natural habitat is tropical moist montane forests.

The long-billed forest warbler, also known as the long-billed tailorbird, is a songbird of the family Cisticolidae, formerly part of the "Old World warbler" assemblage. It is found in Tanzania and Mozambique. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. It is threatened by habitat destruction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chestnut-throated apalis</span> Species of bird

The chestnut-throated apalis is a species of bird in the cisticola family Cisticolidae. The Kabobo apalis, originally described as a distinct species, is usually treated as a subspecies A. p. kaboboensis of the chestnut-throated apalis today. It is itself sometimes considered to be the same species as the Chapin's apalis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Namuli</span> Mountain in Mozambique

Mount Namuli is the second highest mountain in Mozambique and the highest in the Province of Zambezia. It is 2,420 m (7,940 ft) high and was measured, surveyed and described in 1886 by Henry Edward O'Neill, the British consul in Mozambique. The Namuli massif consists of a level plateau with the granite dome of Mount Namuli above. The area was historically clad in tropical rainforest and is an important biodiversity hotspot with many endemic species of animals and plants. The lower slopes are now mainly used for the cultivation of tea and the middle slopes for other agricultural purposes, with indigenous forest now mostly restricted to the higher parts and corridors along water courses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern Zanzibar–Inhambane coastal forest mosaic</span> Tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion of eastern Africa

The Southern Zanzibar–Inhambane coastal forest mosaic, also known as the Southern Swahili coastal forests and woodlands, is a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion of eastern Africa. It is a southern variation of Northern Zanzibar-Inhambane coastal forest mosaic. The ecoregion supports habitats of forest, savanna and swamps. The southern portion of the ecoregion is not as well studied due to the 1977-1992 civil war in Mozambique.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Oku</span> Volcano in Cameroon

Mount Oku, or Kilum Mountain, is the largest volcano in the Oku Massif, in the Cameroon Volcanic Line, located in the Oku region of the Western High Plateau of Cameroon. It is the second highest mountain in mainland Central Africa. The stratovolcano rises to 3,011 metres (9,879 ft) above sea level, and is cut by a large caldera.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Itombwe Mountains</span> Mountain range in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Itombwe Mountains are a range of mountains in the South Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). They run along the west shore of the northern part of Lake Tanganyika. They contain a vast area of contiguous montane forest and are home to a rich diversity of wildlife.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luba Crater Scientific Reserve</span> Protected area of Bioko, Equatorial Guinea

The Gran Caldera de Luba Scientific Reserve is a protected area of 51,000 hectares on the volcanic island of Bioko, a part of Equatorial Guinea. The dense rainforest is rich in plant and animal species including a high population of primates, some endemic to the reserve. Much of the reserve consists of pristine forest. However, the primate population is under threat due to growing demand for bushmeat coupled with lack of enforcement of the ban on hunting in the reserve.

Alexandre Romanovich Prigogine was a Belgian mineralogist and ornithologist of Russian-Jewish origin.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Wildlife Conservation Society (23 March 2017). "Discovery of new ginger species spices up African wildlife surveys". Phys.org.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Plumptre, Andrew J.; Kujirakwinja, D.; Matunguru, J.; Kahindo, Charles; Kaleme, P.; Marks, Ben D.; Huhndorfe, M. (2008). "Biodiversity surveys in the Misotshi-Kabogo and Marungu regions of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo". Albertine Rift Technical Reports. 4. ISSN   1543-4109.
  3. "Expedition sets out to explore isolated, mysterious forest in DRC". Mongabay Environmental News. 2017-02-06. Retrieved 2023-06-22.
  4. "Bastion of biodiversity protected in eastern DRC". Mongabay Environmental News. 2016-12-22. Retrieved 2023-06-22.
  5. 1 2 "BirdLife Data Zone". datazone.birdlife.org. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
  6. Cooper, Jacob C. (2021). Biogeographic and ecologic divers of avian diversity (doctoral dissertation). Chicago, IL, USA.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  7. Sinclair, Ian; Ryan, Peter (2010). Birds of Africa south of the Sahara (2 ed.). Cape Town, South Africa: Struik Nature. ISBN   978-1-77007-623-5.
  8. Clements, J. F.; Schulenberg, T. S.; Iliff, M. J.; Fredericks, T. A.; Gerbracht, J. A.; Lepage, D.; Billerman, S. M.; Sullivan, B. L.; Wood, C. L. "The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World: v2022". Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. Retrieved 24 February 2023.